By 1871, Chicago was emerging as a national center with a burgeoning population of 300,000. It had experienced the fastest growth of any modern city and was poised to grow even greater. Then, on October 8-9, the Great Fire struck, destroying the central business district and over seventy-three miles of streets. As devastating as the Fire was, Chicagoans proved their mettle by rebuilding almost immediately. Building on research completed for their Newberry seminar “It Didn’t All Go Up in Flames: Researching Pre-Fire Chicago,” Ginger and Matt will present a wealth of sources for researching the Great Fire and its aftermath.